Murdered mother's family granted custody of her children

Three children who lost their parents to violence two weeks ago, now have a new home. Their mother, 35-year-old April Russell was shot and killed by one of the children's fathers, 37-year-old Adrian Hardeman. He was later shot to death by police.

Author:
Charlie Cooper

Published:
6:18 PM CDT June 20, 2017

Updated:
6:18 PM CDT June 20, 2017

Three children who lost their parents to violence two weeks ago, now have a new home. Their mother, 35-year-old April Russell was shot and killed by one of the children's fathers, 37-year-old Adrian Hardeman. He was later shot to death by police.

Still in shock over Russell's murder, about 20 family members and friends attended a child custody hearing at the Bexar County Courthouse on Tuesday. April's brother asked to have her children placed in his care.

"We're willing to do whatever the kids need done, get them whatever they need," the victim's brother, Quincy Russell, said. "Ensure that they have a chance after this."

The children include a 15-year-old girl, 8-year-old boy, and 1-year-old girl.

Police say that on June 5, Hardeman, the father of April's 1-year-old, killed her, took their baby, dropped her off at his father's home, and took off. Later that day, he was shot and killed when he pulled a gun on Gonzalez County deputies.

"Sometimes things happen and it's hard to move forward, but we want them to be able to move forward seamlessly," Quincy Russell said. "They don't have their mother but they do have us."

After a short deliberation, a judge ruled that all three of the kids would be taken out of a children's shelter and placed with their uncle, Cyrus Russell, where they will have the support of April's entire family.

"These last few days have been hard, but today, with getting the kids out of custody, is really really great for our family," Quincy Russell said.

The kids, who saw their mother murdered in cold blood, are getting counseling. Their family says that they plan to continue that and hope to instill in them the same love their mother felt for them.

The family also says that the community's support has really helped them through this tragedy. They have a GoFundMe page set up for those who would like to donate to help support the kids as they move forward in their healing process.